shot up to 97 in baltimore. so hot in fact people were lining up for those much-coveted bags of ice. more now from abc's ginger zee. >> reporter: it's an epic heat wave. >> i think it is too hot. i am not a heat person. >> reporter: 105 in atlanta, georgia. 103, raleigh, north carolina, 103 for birmingham, alabama. big numbers under a huge heat dome. it is not a technical term. here's what it is. a high-pressure system that settles in and barely budges. here's how it works. high pressure compresses air to the ground increasing the molecule's energy and that warms it up all around us. that's the science. here's how it feels -- oppressive heat with no break. a gigantic fan offering relief at a golf tournament in atlanta. for this pup, it took an icy the -- icy treat to cool down. in atlanta, it was one too many overheated innings, the nationals pitcher pulled out of the game with heat exhaustion. across the river in new jersey, paramedics were responding to emergency heat-related calls, barraged by 20 an hour. >>